After 1989: Morals, Revolution and Civil Society (St. Antony's Series) Book

No one could accuse Ralf Dahrendorf of being a systems thinker. As the son of a social democrat who was arrested by the Nazis and was himself persecuted by both Nazis and Communists, Dahrendorf found himself drawn to the work of philosopher Karl Popper, whose conception of the Open Society stood in diametrical opposition to the societies built around a preplanned blueprint, such as those created by fascist and communist regimes. In After 1989, a collection of lectures, Dahrendorf lays out his conception of the new civic societies he envisions for the postcommunist Eastern Bloc countries. He fears that the capitalism taking those countries by storm may contain some of the dangers inherent in Marxism. Dahrendorf argues that these countries must embrace societies that move beyond the marketplace, societies that stress ties among people and ensure basic entitlements to every citizen. Read More